Cheltenham

Cheltenham's population grew in the 10 years leading up to 2011. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure, marriage and health.

The population reached nearly 120,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Cheltenham increased by 5.2%, from about 110,000 to 116,000.

The addition of just over 5,700 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Cheltenham was home to, on average, 18 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the South West

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Cheltenham

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Cheltenham increased by one year, from 37 to 38 years.

This city had a lower average age than the South West and became slightly younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of just over 2,700 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 1,000.

About 16% of people in Cheltenham are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Cheltenham by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Cheltenham

The percentage of Cheltenham residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 2.3% to 2.6% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over 1 in 16 (6.5%) reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 6.6% in 2001. The percentage of Cheltenham residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 91%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 3.0% in 2001 to 3.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

Long hour working fell in Cheltenham, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in the South West, except Isles of Scilly.

Every local authority area across the South West saw a fall in the proportion of people working long hours, as the regional average fell from 13% to 10%.

During this period, Cheltenham fell below five local authority areas, including Exeter and Gloucester, to become the South West local authority area with the sixth-lowest percentage of long hours workers.

Long hour working in Cheltenham decreased by 2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Cheltenham, the South West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in unpaid care

The percentage of Cheltenham residents that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 0.8% to 1.0% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, 1.7% of reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 1.5% in 2001.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care decreased faster here than in any other local authority district across the South West. As a result, this area had the region’s second lowest proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care.

Cotswold had the South West's third lowest proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care (1.0%), while Isles of Scilly had the region's first lowest proportion (0.9%).

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care in Cheltenham remained close to 1.0%

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Cheltenham by care, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing household dynamics

The percentage of households in Cheltenham, which comprised a single parent, remained close to 7.9% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just under 3 in 10 (30%) households had a married couple, compared with 32% in 2001. The percentage of households in Cheltenham, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 9.0% to 11%.

The proportion of single-parent households increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.1% in 2001 to 9.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.5% to 11%.

The percentage of households with a single-parent was lower than across the South West

Percentage of households that had a single parent across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Changes in family structure

The percentage of households in Cheltenham with only adult children living with their parents decreased from 7.3% to 7.1% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just under one in four (24%) households had at least one dependent child, compared with 25% in 2001. The percentage of households in Cheltenham without children increased from 68% to 69%.

The proportion of households with adult children living with their parents fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.4% in 2001 to 8.6% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.4% to 9.6%.

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was lower than across the South West

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Cheltenham at a faster rate than across the South West.

In Cheltenham, the proportion of private renting increased from 13% in 2001 to 21% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 11% to 17%.

Across the South West, the share of privately rented homes increased from 11% to 17%.

The rate of social housing in Cheltenham fell from 13% to 12%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 71% to 65%.

Private renting in Cheltenham increased by 8.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in Cheltenham, the South West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer married people

The percentage of married people fell in Cheltenham, but at a slower rate than in Worcester (one of the most statistically similar areas to Cheltenham based on ONS area classifications).

In Cheltenham, the proportion of married people decreased from 47% in 2001 to 43% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in statistically similar Worcester decreased from 51% to 45%.

Across the South West, the share of married people decreased from 53% to 49%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership in Cheltenham increased from 34% to 39%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 11% to 12%.

The proportion of married people was lower than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Cheltenham residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 7.4% to 4.0% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (84%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 71% in 2001. The percentage of Cheltenham residents that described their health as fair decreased from 21% to 12%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Cheltenham decreased by 3.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Cheltenham, the South West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of self-employment

The percentage of Cheltenham residents that were self-employed increased from 8.1% to 9.6% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The percentage who said they were employed remained close to 55%, while the percentage of Cheltenham residents that were unemployed increased from 2.6% to 3.3%.

The proportion of self-employed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 10.0% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 8.2% to 9.7%.

The rate of self-employment was lower than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were self-employed across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Ethnicity in Cheltenham

The number of people in Cheltenham from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 2,000 in 2001 to about 3,700 in 2011. This represents a change from 1.8% to 3.2% of the local population.

The percentage increased at a similar rate to the average across the South West (from 1.0% to 2.0%), but at a slower rate than the average across England (from 5.2% to 8.0%).

The number of people in Cheltenham from the White ethnic groups remained close to 110,000 between the last two censuses (from 97% to 94% of the population). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from about 960 to just under 1,900 (from 0.9% to 1.6%).

About 720 people (0.3%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from about 350 in 2001 (0.6%).

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Cheltenham increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Cheltenham by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Cheltenham

The number of people in Cheltenham that described themselves as Muslim increased from about 540 in 2001 to about 1,100 in 2011. This represents a change from 0.5% to 0.9% of the local population.

Across the South West, the percentage of people from this religious group increased from 0.5% to 1.0%, while across England the percentage went from 3.2% to 5.2%.

The number of people in Cheltenham that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 80,000 in 2001 to just under 68,000 in 2011 (from 72% to 59%). The number of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 20,000 to just under 36,000 (from 18% to 31%).

Just over 8,800 people (7.4%) did not state their religion, up from just under 8,200 in 2001 (7.6%).

The population who identified as Muslim in Cheltenham remained close to 0.9%

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Cheltenham by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

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